NFIB Weekly News
Leading the News
NFIB Member spoke on the importance of the 20% Small Business Deduction for Main Street businesses (01/17/2025)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Jan. 17, 2025) – Alison Couch, Georgia Small Business Owner and member of the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) testified before the U.S. House Committee on Ways & Means at a hearing titled, “Hearing on The Need to Make Permanent the Trump Tax Cuts for Working Families.” Couch spoke on why it’s critical for Congress to make the 20% Small Business Deduction (Section 199A) permanent. Couch also answered questions from Members of the Committee about how Section 199A has been the single most beneficial tax deduction for small business owners and their communities.
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NFIB Leads Coalition Urging Congress to Repeal the Unconstitutional Corporate Transparency Act (01/16/2025)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Jan. 16, 2025) – The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the nation’s leading small business advocacy organization, led 60 trade associations in sending a letter to Sen. Tommy Tuberville (AL) and Rep. Warren Davidson (OH-08) in strong support of their legislation to repeal the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA). The Repealing Big Brother Overreach Act will repeal the CTA and end the burdensome beneficial ownership reporting requirements for more than 32 million small businesses.
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NFIB to Congress: Advance the Small Business Growth Agenda (01/15/2025)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Jan. 15, 2025) – The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the nation’s leading small business advocacy organization released a “Small Business Growth Agenda for the 119th Congress,” which highlights input from NFIB small business members and reflects the top small business legislative priorities.
“The 119th Congress and the incoming Administration have a significant opportunity to advance pro-small business priorities within the next two years,” said Jeff Brabant, NFIB Vice President of Federal Government Relations. “NFIB strongly encourages lawmakers to prioritize the legislative solutions outlined in the Small Business Growth Agenda to fight high inflation, reduce energy and healthcare costs, eliminate red tape, and increase competition – all of which will strengthen the small business economy.”
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NFIB Supports Reintroduction of Legislation to Repeal Beneficial Ownership Reporting for Small Businesses (01/15/2025)
Repealing Big Brother Overreach Act would repeal the Corporate Transparency Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Jan. 15, 2025) – The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the nation’s leading small business advocacy organization, supports legislation reintroduced today by Sen. Tommy Tuberville (AL) and Rep. Warren Davidson (OH-08) to repeal the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA). Repealing the CTA will end the burdensome Beneficial Ownership requirements for more than 32 million small businesses and protect their privacy.
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Fifth Circuit Reverses Course, Blocks Government Enforcement of Burdensome Beneficial Ownership Reporting For Small Businesses (12/27/2024)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Dec. 27, 2024) – The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) applauds the new decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in NFIB’s lawsuit challenging the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA), Texas Top Cop Shop, Inc., et al. v. Garland, et al. The court’s latest decision reinstates the nationwide injunction, blocking the burdensome beneficial ownership information (BOI) reporting requirements for small businesses while the court fully considers the government’s appeal. It also nullifies a previous Fifth Circuit order that allowed the government to begin enforcing the CTA and BOI reporting requirements again.
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Fifth Circuit Appeals Court Reinstates BOI Reporting for Small Businesses (12/23/2024)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Dec. 23, 2024) – The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) is extremely disappointed by today’s decision in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in NFIB’s lawsuit challenging the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA), Texas Top Cop Shop, Inc., et al. v. Garland, et al. Earlier this month, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas granted a nationwide preliminary injunction in the case, which prevented the U.S. Department of Treasury from enforcing the CTA. Today’s decision nullifying that injunction allows the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) to enforce the CTA and its beneficial ownership information (BOI) reporting requirements while our lawsuit proceeds.
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Business Climate
Supreme Court Clarifies Evidentiary Standards for Small Business FLSA Disputes (01/16/2025)
E.M.D. Sales, Inc. v. Carrera concerns the standard for determining FLSA exceptions
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Jan. 16, 2025) – NFIB commends yesterday’s decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in the case E.M.D Sales, Inc. v. Faustino Sanchez Carrera. The Court determined that the “preponderance of the evidence” standard of proof applies when an employer seeks to demonstrate that an employee is exempt from the minimum wage and overtime pay provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). NFIB filed an amicus brief in the case with the U.S. Chamber Litigation Center.
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Small Business Optimism Surges Again, Reaches Six-Year High (01/14/2025)
Main Street uncertainty declines further as owners feel more confident following November’s election results
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Jan. 14, 2025) – The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index rose by 3.4 points in December to 105.1, the second consecutive month above the 51-year average of 98 and the highest reading since October 2018. Of the 10 Optimism Index components, seven increased, two decreased, and one was unchanged. The Uncertainty Index declined 12 points in December to 86.
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Main Street Applauds Passage of Bipartisan Legislation to Reduce Burdensome Health Care Reporting Requirements (12/11/2024)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Dec. 11, 2024) – The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the nation’s leading small business advocacy organization, commends the U.S. Senate for passing two pieces of bipartisan legislation, the Employer Reporting Improvement Act and the Paperwork Burden Reduction Act, that would alleviate administrative burdens and red tape for small businesses. The U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed companion legislation in 2023.
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NFIB Jobs Report: Small Business Labor Costs Rise in November (12/05/2024)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Dec. 5, 2024) – NFIB’s November jobs report found that 36% (seasonally adjusted) of small business owners reported job openings they could not fill in November, up one point from October. Labor costs reported as the single most important problem for business owners rose three points to 11%, only two points below the highest reading of 13% reached in December 2021.
“As the overall job market softens, hiring among small businesses remains a struggle,” said NFIB Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg. “Main Street owners continue to feel pressure to raise compensation at historically high levels to attract and retain workers.”
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A Small Business Victory! NFIB Lawsuit Ruling Blocks Beneficial Ownership Reporting Requirements (12/04/2024)
What It Means: A federal court issued a preliminary injunction that blocks the U.S. Department of Treasury from enforcing a law that requires more than 32 million small businesses to submit the personally identifiable information of each beneficial owner to the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) by the end of December. The court’s issuance of a preliminary injunction blocks the U.S. Department of Treasury from enforcing the beneficial ownership information (BOI) reporting requirements.
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NFIB’s lawsuit challenged the Corporate Transparency Act and beneficial ownership reporting requirements (12/03/2024)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Dec. 3, 2024) – The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) applauds today’s decision in the case Texas Top Cop Shop, Inc., et al. v. Garland, et al. at the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. The Court granted NFIB’s request for a preliminary injunction, blocking the U.S. Department of Treasury from enforcing the Corporate Transparency Act’s (CTA) beneficial ownership information (BOI) reporting requirements.
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Wages and Benefits
NFIB Jobs Report: Main Street Labor Costs Ease in December (01/09/2025)
Fewer small businesses plan to raise compensation in the coming months
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Jan. 9, 2025) – NFIB’s December jobs report found that 35% (seasonally adjusted) of small business owners reported job openings they could not fill in December, down one point from November. Seasonally adjusted, a net 29% of small business owners reported raising compensation in December, down three points from November and the lowest reading since March 2021.
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Small Business Lawsuit Stops Onerous Overtime Threshold Rule (11/15/2024)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Nov. 15, 2024) – Today’s decision by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas in the case Plano Chamber of Commerce, et al v. DOL is a tremendous win for small businesses. The lawsuit challenged the Department of Labor’s (DOL) overtime rule increasing the minimum salary threshold for exempt employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act’s (FLSA) executive, administrative, or professional exemption (EAP exemption). The Court determined that the rule, which went into effect in July of this year, exceeded the DOL’s statutory authority and should be vacated.
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Small Businesses Seek Reconsideration of DOL Overtime Authority (11/04/2024)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Nov. 4, 2024) – NFIB filed an amicus brief in the case Robert Mayfield v. U.S. Department of Labor urging the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit to grant en banc review of a three-judge panel decision concerning the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and its exemption from overtime pay requirements for “executive, administrative, or professional” employees (EAP exemption). This case questions whether the Department of Labor’s authority on the EAP exemption allows it to impose a salary threshold test to determine if an employee qualifies for the exemption.
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NFIB Jobs Report: Small Business Employment Remains Stable in October (10/31/2024)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Oct. 31, 2024) – NFIB’s October jobs report found that 35% (seasonally adjusted) of small business owners reported job openings they could not fill in October, up one point from September’s lowest reading since January 2021. The percent of small business owners reporting labor quality as their top operating problem rose three points from September to 20%.
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NFIB Testifies on Employer-Sponsored Health Benefits Before U.S. House Education and the Workforce Subcommittee (09/11/2024)
NFIB’s Holly Wade spoke on the value of employer-provided health coverage for Main Street businesses and the U.S. economy, as well as the burden of rising costs on small businesses
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NFIB Jobs Report: Main Street Job Growth Stalls in August (09/06/2024)
ALBANY, NY (Sept. 6, 2024) – NFIB’s August jobs report found that 40% (seasonally adjusted) of small business owners reported job openings they could not fill in August, up two points from July. Labor quality as the top small business operating problem rose two points from July to 21%, the highest level reported since January of this year.
Read the report here